Hi, my name is Dr. Morgan Davies and I’m a licensed Clinical Psychologist. I understand the importance of finding a psychologist who is a good fit for your unique identity and personal concerns. My approach to therapy prioritizes creating an environment that feels safe and supportive to help people move toward achieving their therapy goals.
I consider myself a generalist since I have training and experience treating a variety of concerns but also have specialized training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). I’ve helped many people regain their power and learn to manage their mental health. If you are motivated to build your self-awareness and want to challenge yourself to live in alignment with your values, let’s get to work!
OCD & ANXIETY SPECIALIZATION
OCD is much more than being a “clean freak” or being “particular”. I deeply appreciate the many faces of OCD. I specialize in understanding the nuances that make OCD unique and distressing. The general trajectory of OCD is the same across themes: 1) trigger (perceived threat) 2) anxiety 3) urge to fix it/reduce anxiety. That said, the unwanted and intrusive thoughts and images vary for each person and can change over time.
Challenging the thoughts and behaviors associated with OCD and anxiety can be very difficult. It is especially difficult to do alone. Between pop psych misinformation and the (let’s face it) strangeness that often characterizes OCD, your family and friends may struggle to understand and validate your struggle. You deserve help and encouragement by a skilled professional and do not need to suffer alone! I love working together and witnessing people take their power back from OCD. I use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to treat many OCD themes such as: harm, just right, contamination, responsibility/checking, sexual and religious/spiritual.
As humans, we’re all wired to feel anxiety (think survival in the wild!). Anxiety becomes unhelpful and distressing when our minds begin to detect threat even when there is no actual threat. We might also find ourselves overestimating the probability of a feared outcome happening. The goal of treatment is not to get to a point where you never feel anxiety. The goal is to reduce and manage it. I use a variety of strategies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I treat many different types of generalized, social, phobias and panic.
TRAUMA & PTSD SPECIALIZATION
“Trauma” is a word that has become popularized and overused to mean anything from minor annoyances to major traumatic events. While we all have triggers, it can be minimizing and invalidating to hear trauma talked about flippantly when you are struggling with trauma related symptoms. Trauma disorders can be experienced due to one major event that was experienced directly or indirectly (witnessing/hearing about an event that happened to family/friend). Our understanding of trauma has been growing to recognize that PTSD and other trauma responses can be prompted by a series of events (mild to severely traumatic) that consistently activated the body’s stress response. This can be referred to as “complex trauma” and can be easy to overlook when there was not one major catastrophic event but multiple. For example, growing up with a parent who was inconsistent in their responsiveness to your needs. Understanding the origins of your trauma responses (thinking/behavior patterns) can help set you free and allow you to begin breaking unhelpful cycles/trauma responses.
I feel truly privileged to be entrusted with someone’s most vulnerable and painful experiences. Recovering from trauma is a process. It can be very overwhelming and isolating without the support of someone who has advanced skills and knowledge. I have extensive knowledge and training treating trauma with Trauma-Focused CBT. I was a Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider for 4 years, specializing in child sexual abuse. I am also a published author and researcher in the field of child sexual abuse and its impact on caregivers. I also have experience treating trauma including but not limited to intimate partner trauma/violence, childhood emotional/physical abuse, and vicarious trauma.
Whether you feel ready and motivated to confront your trauma head on, or you feel apprehensive and unsure, we will work together to decide on a pace that will be most therapeutic. I use a variety of approaches to address the biological, psychological and social elements of trauma.
ATTACHMENT/RELATIONSHIPS SPECIALIZATION
You learned strategies to adapt and survive in the situations, culture, and home structure that you had little or no control over. In our early development, we learn and come to expect the world and others to show up for us, behave, and treat us in certain ways. These “attachment” perspectives/expectations can limit us and hold us back from living a meaningful and values driven life. You might find yourself continuing to use old survival strategies despite no longer needing them. Attachment and relationship concerns might be your primary reason for seeking therapy. On the other hand, even if not your primary concern, understanding your attachment style can be a helpful tool to combine with the treatment of other concerns.
OTHER ADULT THERAPY SPECIALTIES:
- Depression & Depressive Disorders
- Stress Management
- Life Transitions & Adjustments
- Familial conflict
- Perfectionism
- Self Esteem & Self Worth
- Interpersonal and Emotion Regulation Skills
- Assertive and Effective Communication Skills